Calibrachoa plant named ‘Kakegawa S45’

ABSTRACT

‘Kakegawa S45’ is a new variety of  Calibrachoa  plant. This new variety has deep blue colored flowers and dark green foliage.

Genus/species: Calibrachoa species.

Varietal denomination: ‘Kakegawa S45’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Kakegawa S45’ originated from a hybridization made in November 1998 inKakegawa, Japan. The female parent was a Calibrachoa breeding line withrose colored flowers known as KL1 (not patented). The male parent wasCalibrachoa variety ‘Liricashower Blue’, (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,885).

In August 1998, F₁ seed was sown from this cross and 30 plants weretransplanted to outdoors. Three plants were selected for creeping andbranching habit and intercrossed to produce F₂ seed. In February 1999the second generation seed was planted in the field at Kakegawa andplants with different shades of blue and red flowers were observed. Twoplants were selected for deep blue flower color and creeping, branchingplant habit. In August 1999 these plant lines were then vegetativelypropagated and grown to flowering stage in pots. Trait stability wasevaluated during the summer of 2000 in greenhouses in Japan.

The breeder selected one line, for its flower color and abundance, to bevegetatively propagated and further evaluated in Salinas, Calif. during2001. This selection was subsequently named ‘Kakegawa S45’ and wasdetermined to have its trait characteristics firmly fixed. ‘KakegawaS45’ was asexually reproduced by stem cuttings in Salinas, Calif. andreproduces true to type through successive generations of asexualpropagation. ‘Kakegawa S45’ is distinguished from its parental cultivarsprimarily in flower color.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

This new Calibrachoa plant is illustrated by the accompanyingphotographs which show blooms, and foliage of the plant in full color,the colors shown being as true as can be reasonably obtained byconventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1 shows the entire plant;

FIG. 2 shows an up close view of leaves and stems.

DESCRIPTION OF THE GENUS CALIBRACHOA LLAVE & LEX

The genus Petunia was originally established in 1803 by A. L. Jussieu,who described both P. parviflora and P. nyctaginifloa as type species.Using a non-horticultural system that selected the first mentionedspecies as the type species (lectotype), N. L. Britton and H. A. Browndeclared P. parviflora as the type species for Petunia in 1913.

During the 1980's and 1990, H. J. Wijsman published a series of articlesregarding the ancestry of P. hybrida, the Garden Petunia, and theinter-relationship of several species classified as Petunia. Thesestudies discovered that P. hybrida and its ancestrial species, P.nyctaginiflora (=P. axillaris) and P. violacea (=P. integrifolia),possessed 14 pairs of chromosomes while several other species, includingP. parviflora, possessed 18 pairs of chromosomes. Since P. parviflorawas the lectotype species for the Petunia genus, Wijsman and J. H. deJong proposed transferring the 14 chromosome species to the genusStimoryne. Horticulturists opposed reclassifying the Garden Petunia andin 1986, Wijsman proposed the alternative of making P. nyctaginiflorathe lectotype species for Petunia and transferring the 18 chromosomespecies to another genus. The I. N. G. Committee adopted this proposal.By 1990 Wijsman had transferred several species, including P. parviflora(=C. parviflora) to Calibrachoa, originally established by Llave andLexarza in 1825. Calibrachoa parviflora (=C. mexicana Llave & Lexarza)is now the type species for the genus Calibrachoa.

Classification of the current Petunia and Calibrachoa species is stillin progress. New species are also being identified. Consequently aproper description has not been written for the Calibrachoa genus.Calibrachoa can, however, be distinguished from Petunia based on thehigher chromosome number, chromosome morphology, plant branching habitand type of flower bud aestivation. Whereas Petunia species bear aflower peduncle and one new stem from a node, Calibrachoa bear a flowerpeduncle and three stems. Petunia species have a cochlear corolla bud, asingle outermost petal covers the other four, radially folded andterminally contorted petals. Calibrachoa flower buds are flat with allfive petals linearly folded and the two lower petals forming a coveraround the three other petals and fused together.

In U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,885, the Genus for ‘Liricashower Blue’ wasidentified as Petunia. Since that time, as discussed above, the inventorhas learned that the Genus Petunia has been split by the I. N. G., andthis particular variety, because of its chromosome number and budaestivation is more accurately characterized as a member of theCalibrachoa Genus.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS FOR PLANT GROWTH

The terminal 1.0 to 1.5 inches of an actively growing stem was excised.The base of the cuttings were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a 1:9solution of DIP 'N GROW (1 DIP 'N GROW: 9 water) root inducing solutionimmediately prior to sticking into the cells trays. Cuttings were stuckinto plastic cell trays having 98 cells, and containing a moistened peatmoss-based growing medium. The cuttings were misted with water fromoverhead for 10 seconds every 30 minutes until sufficient roots wereformed. The vegetative cuttings were propagated in five to six weeks.

Rooted cuttings were transplanted and grown in 20 cm diameter plasticpots in a glass greenhouse. Pots contained a peat moss-based growingmedium. Soluble fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and20% potassium was applied once a day or every other day. Fertilizer wasapplied in irrigation water. Pots were top-dressed with a slow releasefertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 18% potassium.The typical average air temperature was 24C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

Data below collected on plants four months from rooted cutting andtransplanted into 20.0 cm diameter pots. Color references are to theR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London(R.H.S.). The following traits and characteristics describe the newvariety.

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Solanaceae.        -   Species.—Calibrachoa sp.        -   Common names.—Calibrachoa.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Breeding line KL1 (not patented).        -   Male parent.—‘Liricashower Blue’ U.S. Plant. Pat. No. 9,885.-   Growth:    -   -   Habit.—Decumbent.        -   Height.—23.0 cm.        -   Spread.—115.0 cm when grown in a 41 cm hanging basket or            pot, and using five 20 cm potted plants in one hanging            basket.        -   Life cycle.—Tender perennial.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—6 weeks.        -   Time to bloom from propagation.—10 weeks.        -   Flowering season.—Spring and summer.        -   Flowering requirements.—No particular requirements, day            neutral.        -   Resistance/susceptibility.—Excellent resistance to rain,            heat and drought. Will not tolerate temperatures below 10C.            Plants are susceptible to Botrytis, powdery mildew, various            stem and root rots, and certain viruses, like Tobacco Mosaic            Virus and Impatiens Necrotic Spotted Virus. Plants can be            infested with aphids, leafminer, whitefly and various            Lepitopdera.        -   Form.—Branching, dense.-   Stems:    -   -   Stem color.—R.H.S. 144B (yellow-green).        -   Pubescence.—Heavy.        -   Pubescence color.—Whitish.        -   Pubescence shape.—Pointed.        -   Stem description.—Round, slightly ancipital.        -   Stem length.—3.8 cm-4.0 cm.        -   Stem diameter.—2.0 mm.        -   Internode length.—1.5 to 2.5 cm.-   Leaves:    -   -   Leaf tip.—Mucronate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf base.—Decurrent.        -   Leaf color.—Upper surface: R.H.S. 137A (green); lower            surface: R.H.S. 138B (green).        -   Leaf fragrance.—Absent.        -   Leaf margin.—Entire.        -   Leaf surface.—Rough.        -   Leaf surface pubescence.—Slight.        -   Petiole color.—R.H.S. 138B (green).        -   Petiole length.—3.0 mm.        -   Leaf length.—3.0-3.5 cm.        -   Leaf shape.—Elliptical.        -   Leaf width.—8.0 mm-1.0 cm.-   Flowers:    -   -   Calyx.—5 sepals; 3.0×2.0 mm (l×w); free.        -   Sepal shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Sepal apex.—Mucronate.        -   Sepal margin.—Entire.        -   Sepal color.—Upper surface: R.H.S. 141B (green); lower            surface: R.H.S. 141B (green).        -   Corolla.—5 petals, fused.        -   Flower diameter.—1.5 cm.        -   Flower depth.—2.0 cm-2.5 cm.        -   Floral tube length.—1.0 cm-1.5 cm.        -   Floral tube diameter.—0.4 cm-0.5 cm.        -   Bud length.—2 cm.        -   Bud diameter.—0.4 cm-0.5 cm.        -   Bud color.—R.H.S. 144D (yellow-green).        -   Bud shape.—Ovate.        -   Bud surface.—Pubescent.        -   Ovary.—Superior.        -   Duration of flower life.—5 days.        -   Flowering habit.—Indeterminate.        -   Pistil number.—1.        -   Peduncle size.—1.0 mm diameter; 2.5 mm length, slightly,            short pubescence.        -   Peduncle color.—R.H.S. 144B (yellow-green).        -   Inflorescence type.—Solitary.        -   Stamens.—Free.        -   Stamen color.—R.H.S. 7C (yellow).        -   Stigma color.—R.H.S. 149A (yellow-green).        -   Style color.—R.H.S. 149A (yellow-green).        -   Petal size.—2 mm×1 mm (l×w).        -   Petal shape.—Spatulate.        -   Petal apex.—Truncate.        -   Petal margin.—Entire.        -   Petal color.—Upper surface: R.H.S. 83B (violet) with R.H.S.            86A (violet) mid-vein and corolla throat; lower surface:            R.H.S. 79C (purple); corolla tube: inner surface: R.H.S. 3C            (yellow) with R.H.S. 86A (violet) veins; outer surface:            R.H.S. 9C (yellow) with R.H.S. 79C (violet) veins.        -   Pollen color.—R.H.S. 9B (yellow).        -   Produces seed.—None.

COMPARISON WITH MOST SIMILAR VARIETY

‘Kakegawa S45’ is a distinct variety of Calibrachoa owing to its deepblue flower with dark purple throat and a yellow tube. ‘Kakegawa S45’ ismost similar to the variety ‘Sunbelkubu’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,279)however there are numerous differences as shown in the table below.

TABLE 1 Characteristic ‘Kakegawa S45’ ‘Sunbelkubu’ Stem and LeafPubescence Heavy Slight Upper Petal Mid-vein Distinct color from Samecolor as petal surface petal surface Pollen Color RHS 9B (yellow) RHS 5B(yellow)

1. A new and distinct Calibrachoa plant as shown and described herein.